Fluid ejection devices such as printheads in inkjet printing systems typically use thermal resistors or piezoelectric material membranes as actuators within fluidic chambers to eject fluid drops (e.g., ink) from nozzles. In either case, fluid flows from a reservoir into the fluidic chambers through a fluid slot that extends through a substrate on which the chambers and actuators are generally formed. Advancements in slotting technology have enabled narrower slots which provide significant economic advantages. One tradeoff to the narrower slots and the shrinking of other feature dimensions within the printhead, however, is an increase in substrate fragility. For example, these smaller dimensions can result in cracks in silicon substrates that originate from the slot ends on the back side of the substrate.